West Seattle, Washington
21 Wednesday
(January 2018, Polar Star in Antarctica, photographed by Chief Petty Officer Nick Ameen)
The Seattle-homeported U.S. Coast Guard heavy icebreaker Polar Star is one of a kind, and it’s coming home tomorrow after more than three months at sea. You’ll see it off north West Seattle before its scheduled arrival on the downtown waterfront at 4 pm. It’s been off supporting Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica, which the announcement describes as “the U.S. military operation to resupply the U.S. Antarctic Program.” It had a tough time, with flooding and engine-failure problems during the mission, which involved “cutting a resupply channel through 15 miles of Antarctic ice in the Ross Sea and escorting supply vessels to the continent.” It’s 399 feet long and 41 years old, and, the Coast Guard says, “expected to reach the end of its extended service life by 2023.” The Coast Guard recently announced it’s issuing a request for proposals to build new icebreakers.
In a few weeks, the West Seattle High School baseball team plays at Safeco Field – a tradition linked to fundraising via selling tickets every year to a particular Mariners home game, below cost. Parent Steve Joseph wants you to know they have tickets left for this year’s game, 7:10 pm Tuesday, July 31st, with the M’s playing the Houston Astros. Tickets are $40 for the 100 level, $20 for the 300 level. You can contact Steve if you’re interested in buying tickets – stevejoseph82 (at) gmail (dot) com.
P.S. The team’s game at The Safe this year is at 12:30 pm April 7th. Admission free!
P.P.S. The baseball team also has a spaghetti dinner/silent auction fundraiser 5-9 pm March 24th at West Side Presbyterian (3601 California SW) – tickets $10 at the door, kids under 3 free.
You have until 7 pm to go wander the halls at Gatewood Elementary and admire art created by its students.
Parent volunteers pitched in to help set up the display. And if you admire any of it enough to think you might want to take it home – it’ll be auctioned off at tomorrow night’s fundraising auction! These next works, by the way, are garden art by kindergarteners who studied bugs all year and drew pictures of bugs which were then copper-embossed and set into a cedar frame.
And as mentioned in our West Seattle Thursday preview today, the Yummy Box food truck is on hand during tonight’s Art Walk too.
Gatewood is at 4320 SW Myrtle.
(One sheet with all 5 “early themes” depicted as possible routes – see each individually in the story below)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The people who are on the front lines of filtering your feedback on West Seattle light rail got their first look last night at five possible variations of the route/stations – not a “final five” by any means, but what had emerged, Sound Transit staffers explained, as “major themes” in the feedback review so far.
This happened at the second meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Group appointed to help determine a “preferred alignment” for the West Seattle and Ballard extensions of ST light rail
As the meeting began, 19 of the 29 advisory-group members were present, including, from West Seattle, community reps Deb Barker (who is on the board of the WS Transportation Coalition and president of the Morgan Community Association) and Brian King (who is with WS Bike Connections), as well as Hamilton Gardiner of the WS Chamber of Commerce, Greg Nickels (“former mayor and longtime transit advocate” is his self-intro), and Walter Reese from Nucor Steel.
Their seating in the Sound Transit board room at Union Station downtown was changed, notably, for this meeting – instead of sitting up in the board’s”U” as facilitator Diane Adams called it, the group members were placed around square tables in the center of the room. “This meeting is going to be much more interactive,” she explained. That was a foreshadowing of the review of the “early themes” for the line.
First:
1:11 PM: Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes so far today:
CONFIRMED GUNFIRE: A texter asked this morning about an incident very early this morning on Avalon in which they heard what sounded like shots and then saw police show up and put out markers. According to the SPD Twitter log, gunfire was confirmed at 35th/Avalon, no one hurt. We’re working to get any further details.
PROWLER ON VIDEO: From Matthew:
We caught this prowler on video trying to find a way into our garage yesterday. As you can see he tries the window and then goes around to the door but it was locked. Luckily my wife came home right about then and that’s why he slinks out of there like the rat he is. We called it into police but people should be on the look out for this guy. Wearing what looks like a yellow vest and Seahawks ski cap. We live on Erskine and 45th Ave SW near the Alaska junction.
P.S. Questions/concerns to bring to local police? The next West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting is coming up next Tuesday – 7 pm March 20th at the precinct (2300 SW Webster).
(ADDED) REPEAT CAR PROWL: Also received this afternoon, from Dan: “Last night for the second time in the past 3 weeks. our car was prowled at 42nd and Thistle. Car parked in the driveway and was broken into; they took misc items.”
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
11:02 AM: “I could do that all day!” So exclaimed Mayor Jenny Durkan after spending a few minutes reading to Delridge preschoolers this past hour.
The mayor reads the pirate story. (Where are the @SeafairPirates when you need them?) pic.twitter.com/IBED8JomO7
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) March 15, 2018
The book: “Pirates Don’t Change Diapers.” The occasion: She visited the preschool at the Immigrant and Refugee Family Center as a backdrop for announcing the ongoing growth of the levy-funded Seattle Preschool Program, which she subsequently did at a portable podium set up elsewhere in the building.
And now the announcement. pic.twitter.com/HjpscaRLnN
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) March 15, 2018
She noted that the program is now four years old. In fact, its original announcement also happened in West Seattle, with then-Mayor Ed Murray and then-Councilmember Tim Burgess talking to reporters and community members in May 2014 at the amphitheater behind Neighborhood House High Point. The four-year levy passed later that year, and is up for renewal this fall. We asked the mayor about that; she said the details are still under development. Meantime, from the media materials distributed at this morning’s event, here’s the list of sites joining those already participating in the city program:
(Delridge Community Center had a different preschool program, not part of the SPP, until early this year, when it was abruptly closed for low enrollment.) We’ll be adding more info about all this later, including video of the mayor’s entire announcement – meantime, she invited interested families to check out the program’s enrollment website at seattle.gov/applyspp.
12:58 PM: Here’s the official city announcement; added above this paragraph, our full video of today’s announcement, also including the city’s Director of Education and Early Learning, Dwane Chappelle. Regarding applications, note that the city is welcoming applications from families of all 4-year-olds regardless of income level, as well as 3-year-olds whose families’ income qualifies.
(Serene morning view from The Arroyos, photographed by Anjanette Nelson-Wally)
Happy Thursday! Lots going on …
MAYOR IN WEST SEATTLE: For the third time in three weeks, Mayor Jenny Durkan is making an official visit to West Seattle. At 10 am today, she’s announcing an update to the city-funded preschool program at a facility in the 6500 block of Delridge. So if you notice media vehicles, that’s what’s going on.
A CAPPELLA CONCERT: The group Under Construction from Harvard University will perform a free concert in the chapel at The Mount at 1 pm today and everyone is welcome. (4831 35th SW)
GATEWOOD ELEMENTARY ART WALK, WITH FOOD TRUCK! You’re invited! 5-7 pm, come to Gatewood Elementary and admire the displays of student art for free – and if you want to have dinner, bring some money for the Yummy Box food truck that’ll be on site! (4320 SW Myrtle)
RESOURCE FAIR AT DENNY: 5:30-7:30 pm, starting with a light dinner, and including activities for kids, Denny International Middle School families are invited to come find out about “housing resources, health information, tutoring information, college scholarships, and much more!” (2601 SW Kenyon)
WEST SEATTLE TIMEBANK: Potluck dinner and informative guests – that’s what you’ll find at this gathering, 6:30-8 pm at the Senior Center/Sisson Building. (4217 SW Oregon)
SUMMER FEST COMMUNITY CONVERSATION: 6:30-8 pm, drop by Great American Diner and Bar in The Junction for a conversation with the West Seattle Junction Association about WS Summer Fest. Ideas? Concerns? Questions? All welcome. (4752 California SW)
SUB POP AT ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL: Tonight’s 7 pm ACC meeting at Alki UCC will include reps from Sub Pop Records talking, and answering questions, about the August 11th megaparty. (We covered Tuesday’s Admiral Neighborhood Association briefing here.) All welcome. (6115 SW Hinds)
AT THE SKYLARK: 8 pm, Speak Easy, Thom Joseph, Glass Souls perform. $8 cover. 21+. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
SEE WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON … by browsing our full calendar here.
Just in case you notice this over the next two weeks and wonder – we’re sharing the official announcement:
Starting on Monday, March 19, King County’s Spirit of Kingston will provide passenger-only ferry service between Bremerton and Seattle while Kitsap Transit’s Rich Passage 1 is in dry dock for repair work. RP1 is expected to return to service on Monday, April 2.
Under an agreement finalized on Monday, the Spirit will substitute for RP1 during the two-week period and return on April 2 to its current role as a backup vessel in King County’s fleet. Should King County have an emergent need for its backup vessel during the two-week period, the Spirit will revert to King County for its Water Taxi service.
While the Spirit has capacity for 149 passengers, Kitsap Transit plans to board 118 passengers, the same capacity as the RP1, to minimize any potential for schedule delays or impact to beaches in Rich Passage. Kitsap Transit’s Marine Services Ambassadors will continue to process fast-ferry passengers in Bremerton and Seattle. Kitsap Transit will have a representative on the Spirit of Kingston during the two-week period to hear from passengers and relay any concerns.
Kitsap Transit does not anticipate any material changes to its fast-ferry schedule. Fast-ferry customers
should continue to contact Kitsap Transit’s Customer Service Office with any questions.During the two weeks the RP1 is at Foss Shipyard in Seattle, all four of the RP1’s engines will be replaced or rebuilt, and the hull will be painted. The repair work is anticipated to cost about $590,000.
While we’re talking Water Taxi, we should also remind you that the seven-days-a-week spring/summer schedule is now two weeks away.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:01 AM: Good morning. No incidents or traffic alerts in West Seattle or on the outbound routes so far.
7:21 AM: At 7:19 we got the Metro alert that the 7:19 Route 56 wouldn’t run today.
7:40 AM: And at 7:38 we got the alert that the 7:32 Route 56 didn’t run.
7:56 AM: Thanks for the tips. Crash in the outside eastbound lane of the West Seattle Bridge. SDOT just tweeted an alert too.
8:36 AM: Bridge crash cleared.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The Fauntleroy Community Association‘s always-popular annual membership meeting – known as the Food Fest – is days away. And that was one of several major discussion items at last night’s FCA board meeting – as well as an unexpected announcement.
FAUNTLEROY FOOD FEST: The annual FCA membership meeting is set for 6 pm Tuesday, March 20th, at The Hall at Fauntleroy. So far, eight confirmed food vendors and a multitude of community groups. The bites are free but the big point of this gathering is for Fauntleroy residents, businesses, etc., to renew their annual memberships, and to vote for officers. FCA will also be collecting non-perishable food donations, so bring something for the White Center Food Bank (which serves West Seattle from SW Myrtle southward). The Seattle Police Mobile Precinct is scheduled to be there too for visitors to tour. And Gary Dawson, Fauntleroy’s longtime liaison with Washington State Ferries, says Jon Vezina from WSF will be the first WSF rep at the Food Fest in years. Stop by, ask questions about the forthcoming dock replacement, or anything else. They’re also considering having a HALA upzoning info table too.
JOSLIN BUILDING UPDATE: FCA continues to closely monitor the potential redevelopment of the 9250 45th SW site in the Endolyne business district (first reported here last October).
(WSB photos)
Congratulations to longtime WSB sponsor West Seattle Thriftway for achieving a milestone – 30 years in business! In our photo above are owner/co-founder Paul Kapioski (right) and assistant manager Brian Bixenman. When we stopped by the store for photos today – the first day of a two-week celebration – the first gift was given away! The independently owned store is randomly giving away free groceries 30 times, to 30 customers, in 14 days, during its #wst30for30 celebration. As explained by marketing manager Michele Grasso:
From March 14th through March 27th the store plans to randomly select a checkstand number twice a day, and 4 times on March 18th – its actual anniversary date. If you are in a transaction in the checkstand chosen, whether it be $5 or $500, the store will pick up your tab. We appreciate our community and customers so much and know we wouldn’t be here without them. Since only 2004, we’ve donated over $772K to local area schools and non-profits. In honor of our 30th anniversary we wanted a fun way to celebrate and give back directly to our customers at the same time!
While we were there – customer Mina became the first free-groceries winner:
Who’s next? Maybe you! West Seattle Thriftway is on the southeast corner of California SW and Fauntleroy Way SW in Morgan Junction.
On the same day City Councilmembers were scheduled to have their first official discussion about the newest move toward a “head tax” (backstory here), more than 300 businesses around the city – including 50+ from West Seattle (our count of the names we recognized) – have signed a letter expressing concern. Here’s the letter and those who signed it (note that while it is dated March 9th, to our knowledge it is just being circulated today, March 14th):
The letter is similar to one circulated to West Seattle Chamber of Commerce members yesterday, in the name of the city’s Small Business Advisory Council, with an invitation for signatures. The new proposal is from a task force co-chaired by West Seattle’s City Councilmember Lisa Herbold and WS-residing at-large Councilmember Lorena González. It is not yet in the form of proposed legislation – that is expected later in the year. We weren’t able to monitor today’s council committee discussion but hope to link it here when the archived video appears on the Seattle Channel website.
FIRST REPORT, 4:18 PM: After-school activities like athletics were in shelter-in-place mode for a while at the Chief Sealth International High School/Denny International Middle School campus but it’s just ended. Police were searching in that area of Westwood, they tell us, because of a secondhand report that someone might have been seen in the area with a gun. Nobody found, and again, the shelter-in-place is over.
UPDATE, 7:35 PM: We’ve just received from Denny principal Jeff Clark the letter that he and Sealth principal Aida Fraser-Hammer sent to families about the incident:
At approximately 3:30 pm today, two hours after Denny scholars had been released and one hour after Chief Sealth scholars had been released, we had a report of someone driving erratically on 27 Ave SW. School staff went up the hill to assess the situation. As a part of this disturbance, a car had hit a parked car. The police quickly arrived. As the police investigated, a report was made that someone had possibly seen a gun. As a safety precaution, the schools went into a shelter-in-place, securing the exterior doors and bringing in scholars who were still in the area. The shelter-in-place was lifted after the police had searched the neighborhood and deemed that the situation was now safe. Please let us know if you have any questions.
Two items in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:
SOUTH DELRIDGE POLICE SEARCH: A man was stabbed in the hand in the 8800 block of Delridge Way SW this past hour and police say they know who they are looking for. The victim originally declined medical assistance, so what was briefly dispatched as an “assault with weapons” response quickly closed, while the search proceeded. No description info.
STOLEN PICKUP TRUCK: Barbara reports, “Our 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 Megacab was stolen out of our driveway in upper Fauntleroy probably early this morning. Think we heard it drive away at 5:00 a.m.” Here’s an image of it as shown on Google Maps:
If you see it, call 911. (added Sunday) The owner is “also offering a reward in the amount of $250 for information leading to the recovery of our truck.”
(State Transportation Commission, meeting at Puget Sound Regional Council HQ downtown today)
1:27 PM: We’re downtown, where the State Transportation Commission is getting an update on the Highway 99 tunnel and the process of figuring out its tolls. We’ll be updating live.
Leading the briefing about the tunnel-project status, tunnel program leader David Sowers from WSDOT. “We have a big year ahead of us, and that’s an understatement. … The light at the end of the tunnel is upon us.”
“What do we need to do to open the tunnel?” Three bullet points: 1. Complete tunnel walls and roadway decks – the “final topping slabs” of the driving surface will be finished later this month, Sowers said. Second step, “commissioning” – installing and testing tunnel systems. Mid-August is when the contractor thinks those will all be done, Sowers said.
Then when the tunnel is verified as safe and ready to go, STP hands it off to WSDOT, and the Viaduct closure begins – “branded” as 17 days, but more like “about three weeks of time” to “reorient the existing corridor that now goes onto the Viaduct, into the tunnel,” says Sowers. He says there’ll be one big difference from past major closures – once the tunnel opens, post-closure, everyone will have to get used to the new connections from both ends.
Here’s his slide showing what happens on the south end during that closure time:
1:37 PM: Dearborn, in that slide, “is a street that doesn’t exist yet,” Sowers elaborates. He’s now on to explaining that the Viaduct demolition, Battery Street Tunnel decommissioning, and North surface street connections are being combined into one contract, and they’re expecting proposals from four contractors “in the middle of next month.” That contract will be worth about $100 million.
Next – Carl See, senior financial analyst for WSTC, leading the tolling-status section of the briefing. He’s focused on presenting results of a study that was requested about two months ago. He says some key factors have changed since the analysis began. Here’s the slide showing them:
Note “all requested toll rate scenarios maintain initial toll rates” in $1-$2.50 range, the former overnight and weekends, the latter during PM weekday commute, and other steps inbetween. Beyond the possible rates, there are a variety of scenarios the commission wanted to analyze, including how much tolls might rise over the years ahead. Most of the options performed similarly over the years ahead, See said. The analysis also included a look at whether traffic would be “ramping up” post-tunnel opening and a mention of the possibility that there might be a no-tolling period at the start for drivers to get used to the tunnel.
1:53 PM: Three tolling options came out “generally at or above preliminary coverage target” for debt service, See says – options 1a, 3a, 5a. Here are the two slides that explain (note that they are both variants of the $1-to-$2.50 assumption, which remains a proposal – no final decision for a few months):
A lot of what they’re analyzing involves not just how much money is generating but what kind of a “cushion”/reserves will be generated. That would be needed, one commissioner notes, in case toll revenue drops off at some point, so some other part of the state budget wouldn’t have to be dipped into, to cover for a shortfall. In response to a question, See says they still have time to analyze other options … but not much. The commission should “settle on key financing assumptions, and determine if other scenarios are needed” by next month. They need to get some updated information before making that decision – including “updated debt service requirements for $200 million capital funding from Office of State Treasurer.”
It’s pointed out from the commission side of the room that “everybody wants to keep it nimble … we’re going to have to keep it flexible” depending on what actually happens with traffic and resulting toll-paying once the tunnel opens.
Timeline for decisionmaking includes public meetings in late spring, according to what was just shown:
March-April, stakeholder discussions continue
April 17-18, commission meets, decides on finance assumptions and whether more analysis is needed
April-June, more stakeholder outreach and public input meetings – plus more toll-scenario requests IF needed
June 19-20, tolling subcommittee of WSTC will have recommended toll-scenario options for the full commission to review
June-July, more “stakeholder outreach and public input meetings”
July 17-18 meeting, proposed final toll plan approved by commission
July-September, more “stakeholder outreach and public input meetings”
Commission meeting September 11th – public hearing and final decision
And one commissioner stresses that even with a no-toll grace period at start of tunnel operations, the tunnel rates do need to be finalized before opening.
2:25 PM: The tunnel update is over. The financial analyst is now on to a somewhat-related item, status of a proposal to standardize exemptions across the state’s tolled facilities – tolls are the purview of the Transportation Commission, which is why the tunnel decision is in its hands. They’re also looking at systemwide fees and rates, which are charged in different ways (think about the difference between ferries and bridges, for example) – look for public-input meetings on all this later this year, too. So we’re wrapping up our coverage here.
(UPDATED WEDNESDAY NIGHT: 13 schools represented below – Alki ES, Boren STEM K-8, Cascade MS, Chief Sealth IHS, Denny IMS, Evergreen HS, Fairmount Park ES, Gatewood ES, Hope Lutheran, Lafayette ES, Madison MS, Pathfinder K-8, West Seattle HS)
(WSB/WCN photo)
10:03 AM: Students at more than 3,000 schools around the country said they would be part of the #NationalStudentWalkout at 10 am local time today – advocating for gun-law reform, exactly one month after the high-school massacre that killed 17 people in Florida. Some of the local schools participating invited us to cover their walkouts. Our first photo above and video below are from Evergreen High School and Cascade Middle School in White Center. More to come.
17 seconds of silence. pic.twitter.com/RHESoZNjYC
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) March 14, 2018
(WSB/WCN video)
ADDED 10:26 AM: The Evergreen and Cascade students headed back to class a few minutes ago. Over the next hour-plus, we’ll be adding photos and video, from there and elsewhere. Above, their 17 seconds of silence; they also had student speakers. Below, Alice Enevoldsen‘s video from West Seattle High School, as names of victims were read:
More to come from other local schools.
(Reader photo, via text)
ADDED 11 AM: Above, students from Louisa Boren STEM K-8 lined up along Delridge Way outside the school. Below, Chief Sealth International High School and Denny International Middle School students gathered on the Southwest Athletic Complex field across SW Thistle:
(WSB photo)
Many held pieces of paper with photos of those killed in Florida.
(Above and below, WSB photos and video by Patrick Sand at CSIHS/Denny event)
Below, video of student Natalie Sailors speaking as the Sealth/Denny gathering began:
And the closing remarks from student Kameron Port:
He had sent us the Chief Sealth IHS United Cultural Coalition’s invitation to cover the walkout, saying, “We are pushing and advocating for more progressive and responsible firearm legislation in the wake of the recent events of Florida and other national tragedies. … It is important to let the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting know that we are walking out in solidarity, and standing with them in this fight. We will no longer deal with hearing about the change that this generation needs. We are the change! We will not let this happen again! We’re taking matters into our own hands, advocating for stricter gun-control laws and more mental-health resources for treating troubled peers.”
Elsewhere in West Seattle – also participating: Pathfinder K-8 on Pigeon Point:
(Reader photo, via text)
Hope Lutheran School in The Junction:
(Reader photo, via text)
(WSB photos by Christopher Boffoli at Madison event)
After a moment of silence outside the school, the Madison students formed a line and walked the sidewalk around the school, down the hill around back, and up to the front again.
ADDED 12:17 PM: While elementary schools weren’t planning full-scale walkouts, some parents had gatherings in solidarity with the walkout. This photo is from Linnea Westerlind, who says about 25 people associated with Gatewood Elementary, including a few students, gathered nearby:
And Erika Stromberg sent this photo of Lafayette Elementary students, parents, and grandparents walking along California SW for 17 minutes at 10 am:
Anyone else? editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!
ADDED 8:43 PM: Thanks to Melissa Fenno for this photo from the playfield fence outside Fairmount Park Elementary:
In each cup, she says, was a candle – 17, one for each Florida victim.
ADDED 11:55 PM: Add Alki Elementary to the list – thanks for the photo of the march past the playfield:
(Red-Breasted Sapsucker, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Looking ahead at your Wednesday morning, afternoon, and evening:
SCHOOL WALKOUTS: Students at local high schools and middle schools say they are participating in the 10 am #NationalStudentWalkout in support of gun-law reform, as previewed here.
JOB FAIR: 10 am-1 pm at Neighborhood House High Point: “Employers will be on site and ready to hire. Come professionally dressed and prepared with your resume.” Child care and refreshments provided. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
BABY STORY TIME: 11:30 am at High Point Library, bring your baby up to one year old for stories, songs, and rhymes. (35th SW/SW Raymond)
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON MATINEE: 1 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle, “Q Planes” is this week’s movie. $1 members/$2 nonmembers, free popcorn. (4217 SW Oregon)
LEARN MARITIME WELDING: Interested in exploring this career option? Be at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) at 4:30 pm for an information session – details here. (6000 16th SW)
LIGHT RAIL MEETING: The Stakeholder Advisory Group for Sound Transit‘s West Seattle (and Ballard) light rail project will meet 5-8 pm at Union Station downtown – agenda and supplementary documents here. Public is welcome, but note that there’s no spoken-comment period planned. (401 S. Jackson)
YOUR VOICE, YOUR CHOICE: 5:30-7:30 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, help review some of the proposals for a share of $3 million city park/street project grants. (2306 42nd SW)
WSHS INFORMATION NIGHT IN HIGH POINT: 6-7:30 pm at Neighborhood House High Point, find out more about West Seattle High School – details in our calendar listing. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
RAPIDRIDE H LINE DISCUSSION: The future Delridge-and-beyond RapidRide H Line is one of the agenda items for tonight’s 6 pm meeting of the Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board at City Hall downtown. (600 4th Ave.)
POETRYBRIDGE: Paul Nelson and John Olson are the featured readers for tonight’s 7 pm PoetryBridge event at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) – details here. (5612 California SW)
34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: Health care is on the agenda for tonight’s 7 pm meeting at The Hall at Fauntleroy. (9131 California SW)
MORE ON THE CALENDAR … browse it here.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:59 AM: Good morning. No incidents or traffic alerts in/from West Seattle so far.
Later today:
STUDENT WALKOUTS: If you’re going to be near a middle/high school at 10 am, remember these are expected to happen, as previewed here. The only plan we’ve heard of that’s likely to affect traffic is at Chief Sealth IHS/Denny IMS, where participating students say they’ll be walking to Southwest Athletic Complex across SW Thistle.
ENCAMPMENT CLEANUP: The city and WSDOT are expected to be working on the slope over Highway 509, east of Myers Way, which could mean vehicles on the shoulder of the southbound side.
8:59 AM: Via scanner, police are on their way to check out a collision reported “eastbound, mid-span” on the West Seattle Bridge.
9:04 AM: One person is reported to be hurt.
As previewed last week, Sub Pop Records is visiting two community councils in West Seattle this week to talk about its big 30th anniversary party at Alki on August 11th (first announced here in January).
First up – tonight’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting, where Sound Transit light rail and a for-sale greenbelt were discussed too, but Sub Pop’s party was the big story. Lots of new information:
Megan Jasper, CEO of Sub Pop, led the briefing. “We live here,” she said, noting that – as mentioned in the original announcement – many Sub Pop employees and managers live in West Seattle and want to do their best to make this an event their own neighborhood can be proud of.
The band lineup is currently planned to be unveiled May 29th. Now that we have that question answered, about the crowd estimate:
(WSB photo of part of the encampment area, as seen from southbound Highway 509)
As first reported here eight days ago, the city and state plan to clean up an unauthorized encampment area on the slope over Highway 509, east of Myers Way, starting tomorrow. We talked with city spokesperson Will Lemke for a detailed followup a week ago and checked back with him today – at which time he confirmed work will start tomorrow:
You will see the Navigation Team and WSDOT crews on site, probably accessing the area from 509. The Nav Team will continue to offer services, shelter, and storage of items as the removal proceeds. WSDOT is scheduled to work on the drainage system soon-thereafter. We have allocated two days to the effort … We believe there is about a half-dozen people living in this specific section of the Myers Way greenbelt. Again, this is only for this section abutting 509 and the WSDOT drainage system.
That’s a reiteration that the encampment areas “on the plateau” immediately east of Myers Way, and “the grotto” beneath it, are not involved in the cleanup plan.
P.S. Earlier today, Lemke was one of the city staffers who briefed a City Council committee about ongoing encampment cleanups (see the Seattle Channel video here). This cleanup wasn’t discussed, but one staffer acknowledged that there are at least 400 known unauthorized encampments within the city limits.
Out of the WSB inbox, from Gary:
A 2004 silver-and-black Chevy Avalanche was stolen from Gatewood on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. The truck has personalized Seahawk plates that say “Perkins.” If seen, please dial 911.
UPDATE: The vehicle’s been found.
Nine teams of fourth- and fifth-graders from around the city will face off in the Global Reading Challenge finals next week, and one is from West Seattle! The Pathfinder K-8 “Enlightened Eagles” made it to the GRC finals! You’re invited to cheer them on in the auditorium at the Central Library downtown at 7 pm Tuesday, March 20th. As explained in the SPL announcement we received:
This event is free and open to the public. Registration is not required. Parking is available in the Central Library garage for $6 after 5 p.m.
The Global Reading Challenge started at the Library in 1995 with just 27 students. Now, more than 3,000 fourth- and fifth-graders from more than 65 Seattle Public Schools participate.
To compete in the Global Reading Challenge, fourth- and fifth-graders work together on teams and read 10 books from November to early February, when they are quizzed on the books during in-school challenges. The winning team from each school proceeds to the semifinals, and the winner for each semifinal advances to the City Final Challenge.
Here’s this year’s list of books.
Just in from the King County Sheriff’s Office. No known incidents in West Seattle, though as explained below, one wasn’t far:
In a span of 4 days a new *SCAM* has surfaced. Male suspect or younger-sounding female claims they have kidnapped the caller’s kids and won’t return them without money.
On 03/08/2018 in the Ravensdale area, a Mom had dropped her two kids off at the school bus in the morning. A short time after the bus left, the mom got a call from a blocked number. The male caller, described as having an accent, stated that he had her daughter and used her real name, although he had her last name slightly wrong. He told the mom that if she didn’t meet him with money in exchange for her daughter’s release he would “kill the child.” In a panic, the mom called the school and confirmed both her daughters were in school and safe.
Four days later, on 03/12/2018 in unincorporated King County near White Center, a father received a phone call from a blocked number. A younger sounding female came on the line pretending to be the daughter of that father. The female stated she was kidnapped and the suspect needed money to release her. The male suspect, again described as having an accent, then got on the phone and demanded money from the father or he “would hurt her.” The suspect then hung up on the father and the number was blocked so he had no way to call back. The father called his daughter’s school and, once again, was assured the child was safe at school with no issues.
Please keep in mind these type of phone calls are *SCAMS* – never provide money to anyone over the phone.
The parents did the right thing in these instances, confirmed with the school their kids were ok and called 911 to report it.
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